LicensedRental

Virginia city rules

Richmond, VA vacation rental rules and taxes

Richmond is Central Virginia’s biggest rental market. A short-term rental needs a city permit, renewed every two years for $600, and in residential zones it must be on the lot where the owner lives at least 185 days a year. The application needs a dimensioned floor plan and passes an inspection. Stays pay 6% sales tax plus the city’s 8% lodging tax.

Checked against official sources November 7, 2026
Market
About 1,040 Airbnb listings
Ranked fourth in Virginia by AirROI.Source
City permit
Required, $600 every two years
Put the permit number on every listing.Source
Owner residency
Owner’s primary residence in residential zones
The owner must be the operator and live on the lot at least 185 days a year. One rental per lot.Source
Guests
Up to 8 adults
Two adults per sleeping room; children aren’t counted. One booking at a time.Source
Drawings
Dimensioned floor plan
Shows each room’s use, sleeping-room occupancy, exits and egress windows, alarms, and extinguishers.Source
Taxes
6% sales + 8% lodging tax

Operating without a permit is a zoning violation, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a $2,500 fine. In May 2026 the city said it had collected $5.6 million in back lodging taxes, interest, and penalties from short-term rentals dating to July 2023.

What to do

  1. Check that you qualify

    In a residential zone, the rental must be on the lot of your primary residence (shown by your DMV ID or voter registration card), and you must own the property and live there at least 185 days a year. Hosted and whole-home stays are both allowed, with no cap on nights. In non-residential zones, up to 10 units or one-third of a multifamily building, whichever is less, may be rentals.Source

  2. Draw the floor plan

    Prepare a floor plan drawn to scale or dimensioned, labeling each room’s use, how many people sleep in each bedroom and the bed type, the kitchen, the location and size of doors and egress windows, and where the smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and fire extinguishers are.Source

  3. Apply online and pass the inspection

    Apply for a Short-Term Rental Permit in the city’s online permit portal with the signed owner affidavit, the floor plan, and proof of residency, and pay the $600 fee. Zoning and building staff inspect the home before the permit is issued. It lasts two years.Source

    Richmond short-term rentals →

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 90 days owe 6% sales tax, and stays under 30 days also owe the local transient occupancy tax. Airbnb collects both on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file sales tax with Virginia Tax. Richmond’s 8% transient occupancy tax has applied to short-term rentals since July 1, 2023. For direct bookings, register with the city Department of Finance and file monthly.Source

Fees

$600 every two years

Short-Term Rental Permit (Certificate of Zoning Compliance, valid two years)$600

In effect since July 1, 2024. Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from City of Richmond, Virginia’s published checklist.

  • Smoke alarmsAs the Virginia Residential Code requires.Source
  • Carbon monoxide alarmsIn every room used for sleeping or cooking.Source
  • Fire extinguisherPresent and accessible at all times.Source
  • City inspectionBefore the permit is issued (City Code Sec. 30-1020.3).Source

House rules for guests

Events
Not allowed
No parties, banquets, weddings, meetings, filming, or advertising shoots.Source
Parking
No extra spaces required
Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.